OSHA Issues Fines Against Contractor for Improper Asbestos Removal at Boston, MA Hospital

Companies who do not follow federal and state regulations for the removal of asbestos materials, as in the case of the OSHA investigation into work performed at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, place their employees and all those in the area at risk to develop serious asbestos-related diseases many decades after their exposure.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer or asbestosis, please complete the form on this page to get more information from our lawyers about your legal rights.

In March 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced they had cited a Danvers, MA contracting company for violations involving the alleged improper removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) during a September 2009 renovation project at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

When OSHA inspectors visited the hospital work site, they discovered workers removing asbestos-containing laboratory ventilation hoods. The inspectors discovered a number of workplace violations, which resulted in a total of 19 violations being filed against the company.

The company has been fined a total of $136,000 for the following alleged violations, which include:

Failure to perform asbestos assessment testing and monitoring at the work site;

Failure to establish regulated work and decontamination areas;

Failure to provide workers with protective clothing and to ensure their work clothing was properly cleaned to prevent against second-hand exposure to the cancer-causing mineral;

Failure to use HEPA vacuums to collect debris;

Failure to label construction debris containers as ACM; and

Failure to ensure that the site was inspected while the abestos removal was taking place.

Workers Face Serious Health Hazards for a Lifetime
All those working in the area where the improper asbestos removal work was taking place face a lifelong risk to develop serious illnesses more than 30-40 years after performing the asbestos abatement work. Tragically, the results of countless medical and scientific studies have shown that even those with extremely limited exposure to asbestos are still at risk to develop asbestos disease.

The long latency period (the time between exposure to asbestos and when asbestos disease symptoms are first noticed) is caused in part by the microscopic structure of asbestos fibers. The tiny fibers have sharp, jagged edges which cause them to attach in the lungs rather than being expelled by coughing or sneezing.

The asbestos fibers will eventually cause lung tissue to scar. When significant scarring occurs over this decades-long latency period, chronic breathing illnesses like emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pleural plaques disease or asbestosis can develop. If the asbestos-scarred lungs begin to produce abnormal cells, those cells can cluster into lung cancer or mesothelioma tumors.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.